Response of Green Peach Aphids and Other Arthropods to Garlic Intercropped with Tobacco

Abstract

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is an insect pest that causes extensive damage to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in China. Field trials were conducted in 2008 and 2009 at Longyan in the Fujian Province (China) to evaluate the effects of garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a deterrent to green peach aphids and other arthropods when intercropped in flue‐cured tobacco fields. This study demonstrated that green peach aphids were affected by intercropping garlic in tobacco fields during the 2 yr studied. The appearance of green peach aphids in intercropped tobacco fields was delayed for approximately 7 d by the presence of garlic. Aphid abundance was reduced by 100% in intercropped fields compared with monocultures, especially when populations peaked (34.7–39.0% in 2008 and 42.0–47.2% in 2009). Other arthropod populations were not negatively affected by intercropping garlic. Species richness, diversity, and stability of the arthropod communities increased and the dominance concentration index decreased in the intercropped garlic fields. The tobacco mosaic viruses (cucumber mosaic virus, potato virus Y, tobacco etch virus, and tobacco ring‐spot virus) transmitted by green peach aphids were decreased by 9.6 to 42.4% in 2008 and by 22.1 to 27.9% in 2009 by intercropping garlic in flue‐cured tobacco fields. The net benefits of cropping flue‐cured tobacco were also increased by 52.1 to 80.2% by intercropping garlic in the tobacco fields. Therefore, intercropping tobacco with garlic may be useful in deterring green peach aphids and in stabilizing arthropod communities in tobacco.

Diversity of predatory arthropod communities in tobacco-garlic eco-system

“…Intercropping methods have been used to manipulate pests in many crop fields (Shen et al, 2007;Sohail et al, 2008;Lai et al, 2011;Lai et al, 2017). The successful use of spiders or predators for pest management provides support for the natural enemy hypothesis, which suggests that natural enemies are more abundant and diverse in diversified habitats than in monocultures.…”

“…White garlic, Allium sativum L., (cultivar) was planted one month before transplanting flue-cured tobacco plants. During the experiment, randomized block design was followed where three blocks and within each, four treatments plots of 12 x 11.2 m were selected as per Lai et al (2011). Each plot was separated from each other by a flue-cured tobacco ridge.…”

“…Thirty flue-cured tobacco plants were randomly selected from each plot with a jump spreadsheet parallel sampling method (Wu, 2000;Lai et al, 2011). The sampling started 7 days after transplanting the tobacco plants and continued until the day when all the tobacco leaves were harvested.…”

Control of potato aphids by the addition of barley strips in potato fields: a successful example of vegetation management

“…Cultural practices, such as intercropping, and the use of trap crops, barrier crops, companion plants or banker plant systems all enhance vegetation diversity within farmlands and have the potential to contribute to the suppression of agricultural pests (e.g. Smith and McSorley 2000;Ahuja, Rohloff, and Bones 2010;Frank 2010;Mutiga, Gohole, and Auma 2010;Lai, You, Lotz, and Vasseur 2011). In pest management terminology, these cultural practices are known as vegetation management (Landis et al 2000;Huang et al 2011).…”

Effect of Intercropping Practices of Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) with Garlic (Allium sativum L.), N-rates and Biofertilizers on Growth, Productivity, Land Equivalent Ratio and Microbiological Properties in Globe Artichoke Rhizosphere

“…Garlic has effectively been incorporated into an intercropping system as a companion crop due to its allelopathic and antimicrobial effects. Some studies have reported that garlic intercropping can prevent insect attack (Mogahed, 2003, Lai et al, 2011 and weed invasion (Mueller et al, 1998). Recent research demonstrated that intercropping with garlic, green garlic (Xiao et al, 2012) and onion (Zhou et al, 2011) can alleviate problems associated with continuous cropping (soil sickness) of cucumbers under protected cultivation.…”